The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-10
IPr.nted BY Special Arrangement Copyrighted. lss7
A MENAGERIE INCIDENT.
BY NJ. C. ROBBIE.

ers. The slender pines taper ike so many
spires against the purple blackness OF the South
ern sky.
A narrow gray line. winding in and around
the tangled palmetto growths, serves to indicate
q road leading into considerable clearing in the
forest which skirts this highway. Here may be
seen red -yeilow flames leapng itfally out from
hastily kinded fires, which half reveal, half con-
ceal the hurrying figures of men and women fit
ting hither and thither, all intent uron the one
object-supper. Rough voices of men and shrill
tones of women break the night stiffness; these
varied by the occasional cry of some strange
beast. for a more curious collection of the ami
NAL kingdom is seldom to be found than in this
impromptu camp by the wayside. the s'world-
renowned circus and menagerie' of the famous
Blank, on it's winter tour through the South,
and in the days when the railway leading from
St Augustine to the Florida metropolis was an
undreamed-of project.
Owing to an accident this mammoth travelling
family find themselves some distance yet from
their goal overtaken by the swift falling dark
ness of semi-tropc night Huge kettles con-
tanning strong. black coffee are hung over the
blaze. and like attendant witches over simmer
ing candrons hover the various family groups.
Hard-featured matrons with children clamorng
about them. Swarthy, dark browed men. Hon.
est, hard-working people these, who for The
amusement of the outside pleasure-loving world,
too often pay the forfeit of their lives Laugh,
and the world laughs with you" has been sung,
and apropos we will turn to where Perrin, the
clown premier. sits moodily watching his pile of
flaming pine knots
People have gifts. vocations, talents, missions.
Perins gift was his nose. No artificial crea-
ton known to the stage could equal this little
dwarf's in point of architectural eccentricity as
q nasal member For the rest, he was wiry and
nimble, looked out of a pair of beady black eyes
ana smiled from the shadows of deep wrinkles
caused by excessive use of cosmetics Add to
these possessions bent misshapen figure, and
the sum of Perin's variations ard deviations
from the symmetrical are enumerated. Near
him. and busted like the rest In preparations for
the evening meal, hurres aud scurries Mother
Eichol, between whom and himself there is pop
ularly supposed to be some tie of kinship.
This Mother Nichol is tall. dark woman,
whose commanding figure had so Impressed the
manager of the circus that upon sight he had
engaged her "at enormous expense" to appear
In the gorgeous pageant as Zenobia. When
released from the restrictions of royalty. how
ever, Mother Nchol added to her salary by the
strictly honorable, but rather hazardous pro-
fession known as rope-waking, In which, to
quote the posters she was an 'unriyaled
artistic" his 'artlSte' paused In the act OF
lifting huge round of cold beef from q basket,
and, if suddenly bethinking herself of some
thing. peered into the darkness behind her.
Natalie, Natalie" she called in her sharp,
harsh voice. which had the effect of waking
parrot in n cage near her. who, apparently con-
sidering it incumbent upon HIM to join his voice
- Mother Nichols. repeated. Natalie. Natalie,
NataIie'-then both bird and woman paused for
developments. A moment ensued the freight
cast red CLEANS upon heavy curtain of
moss pendant from tree in front OF which
Perrin sitting Cautiously this was moved
aside by hand. and then, with quick bound.
like that of playful kitten, young girl
sprung up behind Perrin. and, clapping both
hands over his eyes, whiried the little dwarf
round and round in a mad sort of dance, the
stool upon which he sat serving as sort of
pivot.
While caugh: off his guard Perrin was for the
time at the mercy of his tormentor, whose tawny
face and great black eyes sparked and glowed
with an elf-like merrinent as she occasionally
varied proceedings by pulling his hair and
tweakng his nose
Natalie. child. leave off your antics" gasped
Perrin. making Intellectual attempt to catch
her wrist design which the girls Gucknes of
motion frustrated.
Here we CO." shouted Natalie gleefully, this
time selling the little mans feet she spun
ground, the short red dress revealing delicate
pair OF ankles and shapey limbs
And here we STOP laughed voice. Stimuli
taneously Natalie found herself brought to a
sudden standstill by the grasp of strong hand
and looking like startled young animal in
mute surprise. the girl faced the owner of the
voice. An audacous, merry blonde face was
his. Clear blue eyes, steady and strong with
the powerful will behind them. A classically
aut patrician face. the light mustache shading
pair of rather full red lips. and tall, wellde-
veoped form, carried with an easy, negligent
Space that in court camp" would be equally
self possessed.
Natalie found herself at bay. how or why she
aid not know, but shivered and recoed little.
The stranger dropped her hand and Perrin. thus
restored to the use of his pedal extremities, in
terposed his ugly form between the two in an
attitude highly suggestive of an interrogatio
point The stranger turned toward the little
man, and still wearing the same amused ex-
preston:
II suppose I ought to explain" he began.
"While riding home from neighbours / saw
your fires. and finding it was my land upon
which you are encamped, rode over to make
inquiries
Your manager tells me that, owing to some
accident happening to the wagons you will be
obliged to remain here day or two Have
been looking around, and Just arrived in time to
rescue you Will that DOR he asked good nat
uredlv. then turning to Natalie: II beg your
pardon. miss, for interrupting your sport bat
sympathy for your victim prompted me-"
He had removed his hat, and stood uncovered
before this wild little hoyden with all the defer
ence of a courter Difference is the stronges,
sceptre with which to rule a womans heart, and
this proud young head, with its soft rings
OF brown hair, bent before the two women Natalie
and Mother Nichol, unused to aught but brusque
rough words and manners, effected the young
mans object at once.
Mother Nichol grew gracious for her. but Ma
talie retreateC little where she could watch
him without seeming to do Perrin, from un
der his shaggy brows shot suspicious gances al
the newcomer, who stretched out pair of white
hands over the blaze and talked gaily to Mother
Nichol. managing mean while to draw thai
worthy out, and finally accepting her invitation
TO share pot luck" with them in a becomingly
gracious manner. to the unbounded astonish
ment of his negro servant, who stood holding by
the brides two horses.
With now and then careless. low-toned in
quiry, this interesting young stranger, Carl Els
ton by name. had gathered most that he cared t
know.
Natalie was a waif, and the joint charge O
Perrin aud Mother Nichol and never so the
aforesaid dame assured him, was such prodig,
known in the circus ring From babyhoot
Natalie had manifested the most wonderful low,
and sympathy for dumb brutes AS soon as sh
could toddle the tiny bit of humanity hat
stretched out her arms to Lassarelli. the oil
liou-tamer, coaxng him to take her inside tn
cages of his subjects.
AS she grew, the child developed remarkably
fearessness of the fiercest of the species feline
and conclusvely proved herself possessed OF til
magic power TO make them obev her WILL or
might perhaps, be said that some strange sens
of kinship served her in place of the powerfu